- JLR faces industrial action threat – FT: Union rejects pay offer of 14 per cent over three years
- GERMANY: Porsche Zuffenhausen engine plant proceeds – Just-auto: Porsche will have completed the structural work and erection of steel girders for the new engine plant at its Zuffenhausen site by the end of the year.
- POLAND: VW lays new Crafter factory foundation stone – Just-auto: Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has laid the foundation stone for a new plant in Wrzesnia, near Poznan, Poland.
- US: Senate committee to grill Takata, NHTSA and Honda – Just-auto: Now supplier Takata is the subject of a US criminal investigation over defective car air bags that have been linked to five deaths, its executives and those from major customer Honda Motor are expected to face congressional hearings in the coming week, a media report said.
- Sluggish growth seen in China’s vehicle sales as soft economy depresses demand – Via Google News: Total vehicles sales increased by 2.8 per cent to 1.99 million units in October, the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), …
- China October Car Sales Rise 6.4% as Slowing Economy Hurts Demand – Via Google News: Sales of new passenger cars in China remained sluggish by … Growth in total automobile sales, including passenger and commercial …
- Takata says it is subject of U.S. criminal probe on air bags – Reuters: Takata Corp is the subject of a U.S. criminal investigation over defective car air bags that have been linked to five deaths, and executives from the Japanese company and its major client Honda Motor Co Ltd are expected to face congressional hearings in the coming week.
- Facelifted Audi A1 revealed – Autocar: New engines and subtle styling tweaks for entry-level Audi models, which open for ordering this month ahead of UK deliveries next April. Audi has revealed lightly facelifted versions of the A1 and A1 Sportback some four years after they were introduced to the German car maker’s line-up. Key among the mid-life upgrades to the entry-level Audi models, which are set to open for order later this month prior to deliveries next April, are new base three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.
- Takata to hike inflator output at Mexico plant – Automotive News: Under heavy pressure to boost output of replacement inflators for airbags amid a recall crisis, Takata is preparing to build two new production lines at its plant in Monclova, Mexico.
- VW Golf Tabbed Motor Trend 2015 Car of the Year – thedetroitbureau.com: Volkswagen’s efforts to bolster sales in the U.S. may have just gotten the high-profile shot in the arm needed to offset its nearly two year trend of falling sales in the U.S.: the Golf was named 2015 Motor Trend Car of the Year. VW’s sales for 2014 are down 12.2% after a 6.9% drop last year.
- Auto sector: CCP seeks open imports for ‘disciplinary impact’ – Via Google News: The study confirms that the cars assembled by three major players lack the … The CCP’s findings show that the Automobile Industry Development …
- Delphi turns over GM recall evidence in deal with plaintiffs – Automotive News: Delphi Automotive agreed to give thousands of documents to lawyers suing General Motors over faulty ignition switches and to let the lawyers speak with the supplier’s employees in exchange for being dropped as a defendant.
- Mazda to offer unlimited mileage warranty in Canada – Automotive News: Mazda Motor Corp. will offer an unlimited mileage warranty to consumers who buy or lease a vehicle in Canada beginning with the 2015 model year, the automaker said today.
- Honda Recalls 170K More Cars with Takata Airbags after Fifth Death – thedetroitbureau.com: The revelation from Honda Motor Co. about another death related to Takata Corp. airbags as well as the recall of an additional 170,000 vehicles added fuel to the fire for members of Congress demanding hearings and an investigation into the company and the problem. For details, please click on TheDetroitBureau.com.
- Mercedes, Mini top J.D. Power sales satisfaction rankings – Automotive News: Mercedes-Benz ranked highest in sales satisfaction among luxury brands in the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index Study released today. For a fifth consecutive year, Mini ranks highest among mass-market brands, with a score of 727.
- US: Takata confirms criminal investigation – Just-auto: Takata is the subject of a US criminal investigation over potentially defective car air bags that have been linked to five deaths, a spokesman told a news agency.
- Mercedes-Benz Has Most Satisfied Shoppers, Says JD Power – thedetroitbureau.com: Motorists want the latest high-tech features in their cars, but those features often cause customer frustration. J.D. Power says makers with staff on hand to help new customers with setting up and using these features will improve customer satisfaction scores, and those numbers are on the rise.
- Ferrari will pay Fiat Chrysler $2.8 billion before its spinoff – Automotive News: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles expects to get 2.25 billion euros ($2.81 billion) from Ferrari via transactions it will execute before it spins off the supercar maker from the group, a filing with regulators in the United States showed today.
- Aisin Seiki to plead guilty, pay $35.8 million fine in U.S. antitrust probe – Automotive News: Japanese auto parts giant Aisin Seiki has agreed to plead guilty and pay a $36 million criminal fine for its involvement in a conspiracy to allocate customers of variable valve timing devices, the Department of Justice said today.
- BELGIUM: No ‘social disturbances’ as Genk closure looms: ABVV union – Just-auto: Belgian trade unions are resigning themselves to the imminent shuttering of Ford’s Genk plant in Belgium with the loss of 4,300 jobs, but do not expect social unrest as a result.
- Chevy Revives the Legendary Chaparral Race Car – thedetroitbureau.com: The exotic Chaparrals raced by Jim Hall and Hap Sharp back in the early 1960s changed the world of motor sports. But what would a Chaparral look like today? That’s something Chevrolet is exploring with the Chaparral 2X VGT concept it will reveal at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. For more, go to TheDetroitBureau.com.
- SOUTH AFRICA: Strikes make Ford hesitate – Just-auto: Ford is hesitant about investing further in its South African operation because of repeated production stoppages caused by strikes, its regional chief has said.
- CANADA: Mazda removes warranty mileage limit – Just-auto: Mazda Canada has announced a new unlimited mileage warranty, eliminating the distance limitations on factory warranty coverage.
- Porsche faces new legal risk over VW saga – FT: Fine and possible forfeiture of profits if trial of two former executives leads to a conviction
- Scion readies iM Concept for L.A. Auto Show – Automotive News: Scion, aiming to regain momentum in the U.S., will use the Los Angeles Auto Show to showcase the iM Concept, a hatchback designed with young, adventurous drivers in mind.
- Honda discloses 5th Takata-linked airbag fatality, issues recall – Automotive News: The death toll linked to defective Takata airbags grew to five today with Honda disclosing the first fatality outside the United States and calling back more cars.
- JAPAN: Takata modifies air bag propellant recipe – report – Just-auto: Takata has modified the composition of an air bag propellant that contains a volatile chemical at the centre of a recall of millions of cars worldwide, the supplier told the Reuters news agency.
- Senate to hold hearing on Takata airbag recalls; company subpoenaed by U.S. grand jury – Automotive News: A Senate Committee hearing into the recalls of defective Takata airbags that have so far been linked to five deaths is slated for next Thursday, the committee announced today.